United States AttorneyWestern District of Wisconsin

Madison Man Sentenced to 21 Months on Heroin Charge

MADISON, WIS. -- John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Darrion Brown, 22, of Madison, Wis., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb to 21 months in federal prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Brown pleaded guilty to this charge on March 13, 2014.

Brown had previously pleaded guilty in state court to a reckless endangerment charge for a May 19, 2012 incident on University Avenue in Madison, in which Brown shot a woman in the back and a man in the shoulder. Brown was out on bail and failed to appear for a September 9, 2013 sentencing in this incident, when he committed additional criminal acts leading to his federal conviction.

In November 2013, Brown took a car from a drug customer as collateral for a drug debt. The wife of the drug customer called Brown and said that she had his money if he would meet her at a nearby restaurant parking lot. She then called the Madison Police who agreed to offer assistance in recovering the car.

When Brown arrived with the car, police officers approached him. Brown presented false identification and then attempted to run, but was promptly apprehended. Police found 19 individually bundled packets of heroin in Brown’s pocket, as well as $860 in cash. Before returning the car to the rightful owner, police searched it for any dangerous items or other articles belonging to Brown, and found a digital scale and a loaded handgun.

Judge Crabb found it probable that the gun found in the car was possessed in connection with the possession of heroin with intent to distribute charge, which increased Brown’s advisory sentence under the federal guidelines. Judge Crabb also noted Brown’s criminal history and drug use. The sentence of 21 months in prison was the maximum sentence recommended under the federal sentencing guidelines. Judge Crabb stated the sentence could be served at the same time as his state sentence, but left the state court free to impose a sentence in the shooting case that would be served in addition to time imposed in the federal drug case.

The charge against Brown was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke.